The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, has sealed up 216 drug outlets comprising 30 pharmacies and 186 patent medicine stores, for offences ranging from operating without registration, failure to renew licences of premises and dispensing ethical drugs without supervision of pharmacists.
Disclosing this to newsmen, weekend, the Director and Head of Inspection and Monitoring, PCN, Anthonia Aruya, said 43 other outlets were issued compliance directives for poor sanitary conditions, poor documentation, among others.
She said 356 pharmaceutical outlets were visited consisting 222 patent medicine stores and 134 pharmacies during the exercise carried out last week out by the PCN enforcement team in parts of Lagos not covered in the last exercise held in August.
Aruya said PCN was determined to uphold the laws that regulate the practice of Pharmacy in Nigeria as the Federal Government will not tolerate the indiscriminate sale of drugs without submission to regulatory control.
Aruya said: “The public is advised to purchase their medicines from licenced Pharmacies and simple household remedies from licensed Patent and Proprietory medicines vendor shops.
“Before a pharmaceutical premises starts operation it must fulfill certain conditions in line with the PCN guidelines. First, the premises is expected to apply for location approval.
This is because not every location is suitable for pharmaceutical business. When the location is approved, the premises will put the necessary structure in place for facility inspection.”
